1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a monitoring video camera apparatus for taking an image and outputting a video signal with tilt and pan control.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A monitoring video camera apparatus including a video camera and a tilting/panning mechanism for generating a video signal to provide a monitor image on a display monitor which is remote from the video camera is known.
International Publication Number WO 95/35624 discloses a surveillance camera system including such a prior art monitoring video camera apparatus. This surveillance camera system includes an auto-pivot feature for automatic pivoting of the camera when the camera is in a vertical position.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a superior monitoring video camera apparatus.
According to the present invention there is provided a first monitoring camera apparatus including: a video camera for taking an image around the video camera and generating a video signal from the image; a panning unit for panning the video camera in the horizontal direction in response to a pan command from an external controller; a tilting unit for tilting the video camera in the vertical direction in response to a tilt command from the external controller; a detector for detecting that the video camera reaches a predetermined vertical position of the video camera; and an automatic pivoting portion responsive to the tilt command and the detector for operating the panning unit to pan the video camera by a predetermined pan angle when the video camera reaches the predetermined vertical position and the tilt command is inputted.
In the first monitoring camera apparatus, the tilt command includes a speed command and the automatic pivoting portion operates the panning unit to pan the video camera by the predetermined pan angle when the video camera reaches the predetermined vertical position, the tilt command is inputted, and the speed command indicates a speed higher than a predetermined speed.
The first monitoring camera apparatus, may further include a video camera control portion for controlling a video signal generating condition in accordance with a control signal, wherein the automatic pivoting portion operates the video camera control portion to hold the video signal generating condition while the automatic pivoting portion operates the panning unit to pan the video camera by the predetermined pan angle.
In the first monitoring camera apparatus, the automatic pivoting portion operates the panning unit at a maximum panning speed.
In the first monitoring camera apparatus, the automatic pivoting portion operates the tilting unit to tilt the video camera upwardly in response to that the automatic pivoting has panned the video camera by the predetermined angle.
The first monitoring camera apparatus may further include a video signal converting circuit for converting the video signal to invert an screen image of the video signal in response to the automatic pivoting unit.
In the first monitoring camera apparatus, the predetermined position is determined by that the video camera is just downwardly directed in the vertical direction by the tilting unit.
The first monitoring camera apparatus may further include a receiving and storing portion for receiving and storing angle data and the automatic pivoting portion operates the panning unit to pan the video camera by the predetermined pan angle determined by the angle data from the receiving and storing portion.
In the first monitoring camera apparatus, the predetermined pan angle is 180xc2x0.
In the first monitoring camera apparatus, the automatic pivoting portion keeps to stop the panning and tilting units when the automatic pivoting portion completes operating the panning unit to pan the video camera by the predetermined pan angle until both stop commands for the tilting unit and the panning unit are inputted.
The first monitoring camera apparatus may further include a receiving and storing portion for receiving and enable/disable data indicative of enabling and disabling the automatic pivoting portion, the automatic pivoting portion either operates or does not operate the panning unit to pan the video camera by the predetermined pan angle in accordance with the enable/disable data when the video camera reaches the predetermined vertical position and the tilt command is inputted.
According to the present invention there is also provided a second monitoring camera apparatus including: a video camera for taking an image around the same and generating a video signal from the image; a panning unit for panning the video camera in the horizontal direction in response to a pan command from an external controller; a tilting unit for tilting the video camera in the vertical direction in response to a tilt command from the external controller; a detector for detecting that the video camera reaches a predetermined vertical position of the video camera; and an automatic pivoting portion responsive to the tilt command and the detector for operating the panning unit to pan the video camera to a predetermined pan angle position when the video camera reaches the predetermined vertical position and the tilt command is inputted; and a judging portion for judging one of pan directions to provide a less panning angle from the present position and the predetermined angle position, wherein the automatic pivoting portion operates the panning unit to pan the video camera in the one of pan directions from the judging portion.
According to the present invention there is also provided a third monitoring camera apparatus including: a video camera for taking an image around the same and generating a video signal from the image; a panning unit for panning the video camera in the horizontal direction in response to a pan command; a horizontal detector for detecting that the video camera reaches a predetermined horizontal position of the video camera to generate a horizontal position detection signal; a tilting unit for tilting the video camera in the vertical direction in response to a tilt command; a vertical detector for detecting that the video camera reaches a predetermined vertical position of the video camera to generate a vertical position detection signal; and an automatic pivoting portion responsive to the tilt command, the pan command, the horizontal detector, and the vertical detector for operating the panning unit to pan the video camera by a predetermined pan angle and operating the tilting unit to tilt the video camera by a predetermined tilt angle when the video camera reaches a predetermined horizontal position of the video camera, the video camera reaches the predetermined vertical position of the video camera, the pan command is inputted, and the tilt command is inputted.
In the third monitoring camera apparatus, the tilt command includes a tilt speed command and the pan command includes a pan speed command and the automatic pivoting portion operates the panning unit to pan the video camera by the predetermined pan angle and operates the tilting unit to tilt the video camera by the predetermined tilt angle when the video camera reaches a predetermined horizontal position of the video camera, the video camera reaches the predetermined vertical position of the video camera, and the pan command and the tilt commands are inputted.
The third monitoring camera apparatus may further include a video camera control portion for controlling a video signal generating condition of the video camera in accordance with a control signal, wherein the automatic pivoting portion operates the video camera control portion to hold the video signal generating condition while the automatic pivoting portion operates the panning unit to pan the video camera by the predetermined pan angle and operates the tilting unit to tilt the video camera by the predetermined tilt angle.
In the third monitoring camera apparatus, the automatic pivoting portion operates the panning unit at a maximum panning speed and operates the tilting unit at a maximum tilting speed.
The third monitoring camera apparatus may further include a receiving and storing portion for receiving and storing angle data, wherein the automatic pivoting portion operates the panning unit to pan the video camera by the predetermined pan angle determined by the angle data from the receiving and storing unit.
In the third monitoring camera apparatus, the predetermined pan angle may be 180xc2x0.
In the third monitoring camera apparatus, the automatic pivoting portion may keep stopping the panning and tilting units when the automatic pivoting portion completes operating the panning unit to pan the video camera by the predetermined pan angle and completes operating the tilting unit to tilt the video camera by the predetermined tilt angle until both stop commands for the tilting unit and the panning unit are inputted.
The third monitoring camera apparatus may further include a receiving and storing portion for receiving and storing enable/disable data indicative of enabling and disabling the automatic pivoting portion, the automatic pivoting portion either operates or does not operate the panning unit to pan the video camera by the predetermined pan angle in accordance with the enable/disable data when the video camera reaches the predetermined vertical position and the tilt command is inputted.
According to the present invention there is further provided a fourth monitoring camera apparatus including: a video camera for taking an image around the same and generating a video signal from the image; a panning unit for panning the video camera in the horizontal direction in response to a pan command from an external controller; a tilting unit for tilting the video camera in the vertical direction in response to a tilt command from the external controller; a detector for detecting that the video camera reaches a predetermined vertical position of the video camera and to a predetermined horizontal position of the video camera; an automatic pivoting portion responsive to the tilt command and the detector for operating the panning unit to pan the video camera to a predetermined pan angle position when the video camera reaches the predetermined vertical position and reaches the predetermined horizontal position and the tilt command is inputted; and a judging portion for judging one of pan directions to provide a lower panning angle from the the predetermined horizontal position and the predetermined pan angle position, wherein the automatic pivoting portion operates the panning portion to pan the video camera in the one of pan directions from the judging portion.